Dressing and disrobing tool for paralytics



June 7,1960 R. w. MANGELS 2,939,618

DRESSING AND DISROBING TOOL FOR PARALYTICS Filed March 11, 1957 DRESSING AND msuonnso TOOL FOR PARALYTICS Ralph W. Mangels, 1629 E. 9th, Tucson, Ariz. Filed Mar. 11, 19 57, Ser. No. 645,055

1 Claim. (Cl. 223-113) This invention relates to toolsfor physically handicapped persons and more particularly, to a dressing and disrobing tool for enabling paralytics to put on and re- 2 move footwear from immobilized lower extremities of their bodies. j i

As is well known, persons who are paralyzed from the waist down encounter great difiiculty in putting footwear those whose lower'extremities are paralyzed because of polio and various other diseases affecting the nerves and muscles, have great difiiculty in bending at the waist, even when seated, to put'stockings and shoes on their feet- T. I q f,

It is, therefore, the most important object of this inv vention to provide a combination dressing and disrobing hand tooladapted for enabling a physically handicapped I person to 'put on and remove footwear from immobilized lower extremities of his body. An equally important object. of this invention is to provide a dressing and disrobing toolfor physically handicapped persons wherein is provided an elongated member having specially constructed means on one end thereofso that the person may reach the'outermostportion of his lower extremities without substantial bending at the waist being necessary to put on and remove footwear.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a dressing and disrobing hand tool for physically handicapped persons wherein the elongated member has a laterally extending finger on one end thereof which is adapted to be hooked over the edge of the foot receiving opening of the footwear to facilitate removal of the same from the persons immobilized lower extremities.

Also an important aim of this invention is to provide mutually cooperable dressing and disrobing hand tools adapted for enabling a physically handicapped person to put on and remove footwear from the lowermost extremity of his body which includes a pair of elongated members, one of which has a hook on the outermost end thereof and the other of which has a trough-like section in one face thereof so that the shoe may be held in position with the hook and the trough-like element disposed between the persons heel and the heel'pontion of the shoe, to thereby facilitate putting on of the footwear.

An equally important object of this invention relates to the provision of mutually cooperable dressing and disrobing hand tools as described above which includes a pair of elongated members each having a laterally extending finger at one end thereof and adapted for facilitating removal of footwear by placement of the fingers in opposed relationship against the edge of the foot receiving opening of the footwear, whereby the latter may be easily pushed off the persons foot.

Other important objects of this invention relate to the provision of mutually cooperable dressing and disrobing hand tools as previously described which are substan-' tially identical in configuration so that they may be easily manufactured at a minimum of cost and which function in various manners to facilitate all phases of putting on and removing shoes from a persons immobilized lower extremities. Other less important objects and details'of construction will become obvious or be outlined more fully as the following specification progresses.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of one dressing and disrobing hand tool for physically handicapped persons made pursuant to the concepts of the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a dressing and dis-l robing hand tool as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a reduced, fragmentary, perspective view illus-J tratingthe manner in which a pair ofdressing and disrobing hand tools may be utilized to facilitate putting on of footwear; i

Fig. 4 is likewise a reduced perspective view showing how a pair of the dressingand disrobing hand tools may be utilized in mutually cooperable fashion to facilitate putting on of shoes; and n Fig. 5 is a reduced perspective view illustrating the manner in which a pair of the dressing and disrobing hand tools are used to remove shoes from immobilized lower extremities.

Only one of the dressing and disrobing hand tools, broadly designated by the numeral 10, will be initially described, and the manner in which a pair of these tools '10 are used in cooperable fashion to carry out the objects orme invention will be set forth later. I Each of the tools 10 preferably comprises an elongated, relatively thin, narrow rod 12 which may be conveniently formed of lightweight'metal such as aluminum or other similar, ginexpensive metals, and includes an integral, enlarged segment 14 at one end thereof. Asis clearly apparent in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, segment 14 has an arcuate, cross-sectional configuration so that the front face 15 of segment 14 is curved inwardly to present a {trough-like, concave section 16. Although it is not neces sary, iit isdesirable. that the face of segment 14 opposite to trough-like section 16 be arcuate to'form a convex surface 18. It can be perceived that segment 14 is formed substantially in the manner of a shoehorn integrally joined to one end of rod 12.

The end 19 of rod 12 opposite to segment 14 is preferably bent upon itself to form an arcuate, J-shaped hook 20. Although hook 20 could be formed of separate material and secured to the uppermost end of rod 12, it has been found preferable to merely bend over the end of rod 12 in a manner so as to present arcuate hook 20.

Tool 10 also includes a relatively thin element broadly designated by the numeral 22 andywhich consists of a rod substantially equal in width to the Width of rod 12, and which is bent along a line 24 intermediate its ends to form an elongated leg 26 and a shorter leg 28. From Fig. 2 of the drawing it can be ascertained that the angle formed between legs 28 and 26 is substantially obtuse. Means is provided for securing element 22 to rod 12 and most conventiently comprises a pair of rivets 30 passing through suitable openings provided therefor in rod 12 and leg 26. Manifestly, other means of securing could be provided in the nature of screws or a process utilized such as spot-welding. Leg 26 is secured to the rear face 32 of rod 12 at a point outwardly of the zone where segment 14 joins rod 12. It is now manifest that when leg 26 is secured to rear surface 32 of rod 12, leg 28 forms an outwardly extending finger which may be utilized in various manners to be hereinafter described.

It is desirable that the longitudinal dimension of tool 10 to be such that when the person holds the end 19 of rod 12, for example, in his hand, he may "reach the outermost portion of his lower extremities with segment 14 of tool 10. Although the length of the tools 11 may be varied at will, it is desirable that they be of substantially, standard dimensions. for .ease of manufacturing .and to makefthe..same usable by persons, having various. degrees ..of .physical immobility. It is, however, .po'intedout thatminsome. instances it .might be rdesirableto utilize a pairiofhandrtools which arenot of the same lengthso that :Ihe various dressing. and disrobing operations are facilitated.

.ln' Fig...3 ,of the drawing there isillustratedthe way in which a pairiofthand tools. 10 are utilized in mutually cooper-able fashion so as to facilitate putting on of.foot wear. shown, the ends 19 ofrtools ldhave been slippedin the open end of a stocking 34 with J-s'haped hooks-.20 disposed-in opposed relationship. The hooks engagethe innermost surface of stocking 34 and by moving ends 19 outwardly with respect to each other, the openendof the stocking 34 may be expanded to permit the person to place his foot therein. 'Manifestly, by holding tools 10 by the segment. 14, the person may place stockings 34 on his feet'without substantial bending at the waist being necessary.

.Fig'. -4illustrates the manner in which a pair of the tools10-are utilized to'facilitate putting a shoe 36 on a physically handicapped person's foot and as shown, it can beseenthat the hook 20 of one. of the tools 10 is hooked ever. the toev 33 ofshoe' 36 while ,s'hoehorn' segmentldn's disposed between the persons heel and the curved heel portion 40 of shoe' 36. Hook 20 serves the function of holding shoe 36 in position while trough-like section16 guides the personsheelinto shoe 36.

.Another way in which a pair of tools 10 may be utilized to enable physically handicapped persons to dress and disrobe themselves is shown in Fig. 5 wherein a pair of the tools are disposed. with the fingers 28 engaging the uppermost edge of the instep 42 of shoe 36. Manifest-1y, by placing the fingers 28 of each of the tools 10 in opposed, instep-engaging position as shown in Fig. 5, shoe 36 may be readily removed by moving each of the tools 10 in'the direction indicated by'the arrows.

"Manifestly, the dressing and disrobing tools 10 shown anddescribed herein are especially adapted for putting on and removing footwear from the immobilized'lower extrernities of physically handicapped persons, but itcan be perceivedthat tools 10 may also be utilized by such persons in various' other-manners wherein itis difiicult'to reach without outside aid. For example, the person may grasp tool 10 by segment 14 and then use hook 20 to adjust various parts of this 'wearing apparel. Various other uses of the devices arenot readily apparent but it is contemplated that the physically handicapped person employing tools 10 may adapt the same to his own needs which are peculiar to hisparticular type of handicap. Inasmuch as the tools 10 may be constructed at a relatively low cost, they will beavailabledogall individuals affiicted with a handicap regardles offinancial means.

Having thusldescribedthe invention whatris claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

Mutually "cooperable dressing hand'tools adapted for enabling a physically.handicappedperson to put on or take on. footwear such as shoes and stockings when his lower extremities are immobilized comprising a pair of elongated, fiat members, each of said members being of substantially'greater widthzthanathickness and ofsuificient length that when held ,atoneH-end thereof in the personis hand, the opposite endwill reach the outermost portion of his immobilized lower extremities, .a part of one major face of each of the members adjacent one end thereof being .curved inwardly to present v.a troughelike, concave section; substantially .J-shapedhook iutegralwith each opposite end: .of. the members of substantially equal width to that of respective membersthe radius of: curvature of said hooks being .ofa dimensionrsuchthatthetoe end of a shoe maybeinsertedintothesame and will relatively readily remain therein; and a relatively. short, flat element rigidlysecuredrtoand. extending from each of the members. adjacent :saidone, end of. the latter and in a direction away from-respective inwardly curved faces of the members to presenta .fing eroneach member to facilitate putting on orrenioving .ofs'aid footwear. v

References Cited in the file of this patent STATES l'PATENTS D. 84,620 Bradley J.uly'14, 19.31 732,854 -:Hepner July 7, .1903 1,163,399 Fox 1 Dec. 7, .1915 1,374,544 Asplund :Apr. .12, 1921 2,628,007 1Meling rFeb.;:1Q, 1953 'FOREI GNPATENTS :10'l,848 Great. Britain Aug. 8, 1916 606,155 GreatBritain .Aug. ,6, 1948 

